Process of reclaiming fibrous materials



Se t. 11, 1934. P.-TRUNSKY' 1,973,450

PROCESS OF REGLRIHING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed June 6, 1932 $3., wm/WW Quo um W Patented Sept. 11, 1934 PROCESS OF RECLAIMING FIBROUS MATERIALS Peter Trunsky, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Samuel L. Travis, Detroit, Mich.

Application June 6, 1932, Serial No. 615,753

Claims. (Cl. 167-3) This invention relates to a process of reclaiming fibrous materials and to a material produced by this process.

One of the primary objects of this invention 5 is to produce a reclaimed fibrous material which will be impregnated with a deodorizing and sterilizing material.

A further object of this invention is to provide a process by which fibrous material may be reclaimed and by which this reclaimed material may be efiiciently treated during the course of the reclaiming process with a substance which will be capable of thoroughly'deodorizing and completely sterilizing the rel5 claimed material.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a process which may be efficiently and expeditiously carried out on a commercial scale with the result that the reclaimed and treated material may be obtained with a minimum of expense.

Numerous other objects and advantages of this invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds, particularly when reference is had to the single figure of the drawing wherein there is diagrammatically illustrated an apparatus for carrying out the process forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the following description the process will be described in its application to the reclaiming of cotton from old mattresses and the like, although it is to be understood that in its broader aspects the process forming the subject matter of this invention may be utilized in the reclaiming of other similar fibrous materials.

Heretofore ithas been customary to salvage the cotton and other fibrous material from old mattresses and the like by first breaking up this fibrous material into small pieces by suitable pronged rollers and the like. In the prior practice it has been customary to withdraw this broken up fibrous material from the container in which it has been broken up by means of a suitable fan which functions to further break up and render more fiuffy the fibrous material. From the fan the fibrous material has been fed to a suitable separator where the dustand the like has been removed from the same, the thus cleaned fibrous material being fed by gravity to I a suitable container.

While this process has proven practical, it

therefore to sterilize this cotton or to deodorize the same. According to the teachings of this invention, therefore, there is included in the erence character 10 designates a suitable cotton picker which may be of standard construction and which includes suitable pronged rollers or the like (not shown) which function to break up the cotton or other fibrous material fed to this device. Connected to the device 10 is a duct 11, and connected to this duct at a point spaced from the device 10 is a fan 12 which functions to withdraw the broken up fibrous material from the device 10 as will be clearly apparent.

The fan 12 constitutes the second step in the process of breaking up the fibrous material, this fibrous material passing through this fan and being further broken up prior to its exhaust from the fan casing into a duct 13. This latter duct discharges into a suitable dedusting device 14 which may be of standard construction such, for example, as the cyclone type, the broken up fibrous material being fed into this device and the dust therein being separated from the same. The fibrous material with the dust removed from the same in the device 14 falls by gravity through the duct 15 into a suitable container 16 wherein the reclaimed fibrous material may be baled or otherwise packed.

The process as above described constitutes the old process previously mentioned and by which process the'fibrous material is obtained in a cleansed condition, but is neither deodorized nor sterilized. According to the teachings of this invention the fibrous material is further treated during this reclaiming process by impregnating the same with a suitable deordorizing and sterilizing material, such, for example, as ozone.

Referring then again to the figure of the drawing, the reference character 20 designates generally a device for producing ozone. This device may be of standard construction, such devices being sold on the market as ozonators and in general comprising a casing 21 into the lower end of which an air inlet pipe 22 extends. Associated with the inlet end of this pipe and arranged exteriorly of the casing 21 is a suitable dust filter 23.

The inlet pipe 22 communicates within the casing 21 with a suitable blower 24, this blower discharging the air to an oil filter 25 which functions to further purify the incoming air. Located within the casing 21 and adJacent the lower end thereof are two dehydrators 27, each dehydrator comprising a suitable heater and a suitable dehydrating substance such, for example, as silica jell.

A conducting pipe 28 extends from the oil filter 25 and is provided with the valved branches 29 and 30, one of which communicates with the upper end of each dehydrator. Thus by suitably controlling the valves in the branches 29 and 30 the air from the oil filter may be caused to pass through either one dehydrator or the other.

Pipes 31 are arranged to receive the dehydrated air from the dehydrators 2'7, and these pipes meet in a common conducting pipe 32 which conducts the dehydrated air to the upper portion of the casing 21 in which are arranged suitable electric elements 33 which, in accordance with the usual practice, convert the cleansed and dry air into ozone.

A conduit 35 connected to the top of the easing 21 receives the pure ozone from the ozona tor, and this conduit is connected to the duct 11 at a point immediately in advance of the fan 12. Thus the ozone produced in the ozonator is discharged directly into the duct 11 where it is mixed with the broken up fibrous material prior to the entrance of this material-into the fan casing.

It has been found that if the ozone is slightly moistened prior to its introduction into the duct 11, a more. efficient impregnation of the fibrous material with this ozone is obtained. Accordingly the present invention contemplates mounting intermediate the ends of the conduit 35 a suitable moistening device 36 which may comprise a suitable container substantially filled with water, as designated by the reference character 37. There is preferably located in the bottom of this container a suitable heater 38 whereby the water may be heated to a temperature of approximately 180 1'1, with the result that the water will be converted into a vapor and may intimately mix with the ozone which passes through the container and bubbles through the water in the container.

In actual operation of the apparatus, the cotton passes from the picker 10 to the separator 14 in approximately one second. During this short interval of time the ozone which has been previously moistened is introduced into the moving column of cotton and is intimately mixed therewith in its passage through the fan 12. Thus the cotton impregnated with the ozone is fed to the separator where the dust and other particles are removed from the cotton, the cleansed, sterilized and deodorized cotton falling into the container 16 where it may be baled or otherwise disposed of.

. From the above it will be apparent that the invention provides a method which may be coritinuous in operation and which will efilciently and expeditiously not only cleanse the reclaimed cotton, but will also sterilize and purify the same. It will further be apparent that the invention produces a sterilized and deodorized fibrous material which will be capable of diversified uses and which will therefore be of a substantial market value.

While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understood that the description is for the purposes of illustration only and is not definitive of the limits of the inventive idea. The rightis reserved to make such changes in the material treated bythe process and such changes in the steps of the process as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a method of the character described, those steps which consist in breaking up cotton into small particles, forcing ozone through water to moisten the ozone, and introducing themoistened ozone into the cotton to impregnate the latter with the former.

2. Those steps in a method of the character described which consist in generating ozone, effecting a contact of the ozone with water to moisten the ozone, breaking up the cotton to be reclaimed, conducting the broken up cotton to a separator, introducing the moistened ozone into contact with the cotton, and separating the dust particles from the cotton.

3. The method of reclaiming cotton which consists in breaking the cotton up into small particles, conducting the broken up cotton to a dedusting device, generating ozone, forcing the generated ozone through water, heating the water to produce a vapor, mixing this vapor with the ozone to moisten the ozone, introducing the moistened ozone into contact with the cotton during the conducting of the cotton to the dedusting device, and separating the dust and dirt particles from the cotton in the dedusting device.

4. Those steps in a method of the character described which consist in generating ozone, eifecting a contact of the ozone with water vapor to moisten the ozone, breaking up the cotton to ,be reclaimed into small particles, introducing ticles from the cotton in the dedusting device.

5. Those steps in a method of the character described which consist in breaking the cotton up intosmall particles, generating ozone, forcing the generated ozone through water, heating the water to produce a vapor, mixing this vapor with the ozone to moisten the ozone, introducing the moistened ozone into intimate contact with the cotton particles, conducting the treated cotton to a dedusting device, reducing the cotton particles to a cotton floss during the passage of the same to the dedusting device by the conducting means, and separating dust and dirt particles from the cotton floss in the dedusting device.

- PETER TRUNSKY. 

